Puzzle



Patnted Sept. 27, uses, J. E. RICHARDSON.

PUZZLE.

(Application filed Dec. 3, 1897.)

(No Model.)

THE NDRmS PETERS w Pnorouwm msmum'o 0.4:

JAMES E. RICHARDSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- PATENTOFFICE.

HALF TO JULIAN C. DOWELL, OF WOODSIDE, MARYLAND.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,334, datedSeptember 27, 1898.

' A li ti fil d December 3, 1897. Serial No. 660,661. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES E. RICHARDSON, a citizen-of the United States,residing at Bal timore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Puzzles; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same. I

This invention relates to that class of devices which are especiallydesigned for amusement and pastime and which are commonly callecpuzzles.

The primary object of the invention is to amusement by presenting to theuser the solution of a problem which, though simple enough when known,is not apparent and which will hold the attention and aiford amusementto the user and others who may witness the efforts of the player inattempting to solve the problem.

The invention consists, essentially,of a body or plate having aplurality of slightly-separated orifices therein, through which areinserted the looped portions of a cord or string having both ends freeand each provided with a stop to limit its movement and'prevent thepassage thereof through said orifices, said looped portions beinginterlocked with capacity for disengagement when the parts are in theproper position and having a sliding button or device thereon which canbe removed by disengagingsaid looped portions, but which in the normalposition of the parts is incapable of removal without breaking orcutting the cord.

The invention consists, further, in a device of the character describedhaving, in addition to the above-mentioned features, a, bead or stoparranged .upon the looped portions of the cord on opposite sides of saidbutton or.

device to add to the delusion by making it appear that the said devicecannot be removed without first removing one of said beads.

In the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as a part of thisspecification and in which I have illustrated one form of my invention,Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a puzzleembodying myinvention,

ing the cord, Fig. 2 showing'the parts in position for engaging ordisengaging the looped portions of the cord, Fig. 3 showing the parts asthey appear when the loops are being disengaged, and Fig. 4 showing theloops disengaged and indicating in dotted lines how the button or deviceto be removed is taken off the cord.

Referring to the drawings, in which the same letters of reference areused to denote corresponding parts in different views, A denotes anoblong body orplate which in the construction shown is of ovalform,having at or near each end thereof an orifice a. Said body may be formedof any suitable material adapted to afford the desired rigidity orresistance to bending, though a certain degree of flexibility is notundesirable and may be preferable. The openings at a are-adapted toreceive the cord, string, or other flexible device B, which has itsintermediate portion loopedandthe loops thereof engaged with each otheror interlocked and each passed through one of said openings, asindicated in Fig. 1.

The parts may be connected by forming a loop I) of suitable length atone end or part of the cord B and passing the same through one of theorifices a, then slipping thereon a disk, button, or other device 0, andthen passing the loop through the other orifice a, as shown in Figs. 2and 3, and engaging therewith the other end of the cord by passingthelatter through the projecting portion of the loop I) and drawing thesecond loop I) thus formed out through the orifice into the positionshown inFig. 1, in which positionthe ends of the cord may be preventedfrom passing through'the orifices a a by suitable stops B 13*, formed ofany suitable material and of any desired shape, as a knot or swell inthe cord or a knob or ball attached thereto. As

thus connected there is apparently no way in which the device 0 may beremoved without breaking or cutting the cord, and the delusion may beincreased by placing one or more beads D on one branch or limb of eachof the loops b b on opposite sides of the disk 0 prior to fastening orforming the balls or stops B B on the ends thereof, so as to make itappear that the device 0 cannot be removed without first removing one orthe other of said beads, which should be larger than the orifice throughsaid device to give this impression. These beads, however, are notessential and may be dispensed with.

The parts being arranged and connected in the manner shown in Fig. 1,the solution of the problem consists in drawing or passing one of theloops b or bas b, for example through one of the orifices a, as shown inFig. 2, then passing the end of the loop I), having the stop B thereon,through the projecting portion of the loop I), Fig. 3, in the oppositedirection to that in which it was passed in making the connection,whereupon the said loop 1) may be drawn back free of the loop I), asshown in Fig. 4, and the looped and interlocked connections being thusdisengaged or disconnected the device 0 may be removed, as indicated indotted lines in Fig. 4:. To again connect the parts, the operation isthe same as hereinbefore described.

Any suitable material may be employed in forming the body Asuch as wood,celluloid, cardboard, papier-mach, &c.and the cord may also consist ofany suitable material having the desired flexibility. While the oblongoval-shaped construction shown is preferable for the body, any othersuitable shape, either round, square, polygonal, or egg-shaped orglobular, may be employed, the only essential being that said body shallbe adapted to be perforated at two different points to receive theflexible cord and permit the connection and disconnection of the partssubstantially in the manner shown and described.

The device or annulus C may be of any desired form or configurationadapted to encircle the loop ofthe string or cord, and in the use of theterm annulus I do not desire to be limited to a ring or annular device,strictly speaking, as various other forms may be employed as theequivalent of the ring or disk shown.

To distinguish this puzzle by name from the puzzle shown and describedin my application filed simultaneously herewith, and called The RubberNeck, I have designated this puzzle as The Klondyke.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. In a puzzle, thecombination of a suitable body having a pair of orifices, a cord orstring extending along one side of said body between said orifices andpassing through the same and thence back so as to form a loop on theopposite side; said loops being engaged with each other or interlockedand the ends of the cord being formed or provided with stops to preventthe passage thereof through the body, and an annulus on the loopedportions of the cord. I

2. In a puzzle, the combination of a suitable body having a pair oforifices, a cord or string extending along one side of said body betweensaid orifices and passing through the same and thence back so as to forma loop on the opposite side; said loops being engaged with each other orinterlocked and each end of the cord being formed or provided with astop to prevent the passage thereof through the body, a bead on one limbof each loop of the cord arranged on the side of the body opposite saidstops, and an annulus on said interlocked loops.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. RICHARDSON.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. RIORDON, M. E. FOWLER.

